When cross-laminated timber first arrived on the architectural scene in the early 2000s, its promise was structural: a way to build tall with wood, reducing carbon and bringing the warmth of the forest into buildings previously dominated by steel and concrete. That promise was well-kept. Today, CLT frames rise to 18 storeys and beyond. But something quieter — and in many ways more interesting — has been happening in parallel.
A cohort of architects and interior designers have stopped hiding CLT behind plaster and paint. They're leaving the laminated layers exposed, celebrating the glue lines, the knots, the directional grain. They're treating a structural panel the way a previous generation treated raw concrete: as a finish in itself.
Why now?
Part of the answer is economic. CLT has become competitively priced against in-situ concrete in many European markets. When the structural and the finish material are the same thing, the cost calculus changes. But the shift is also aesthetic and ethical. Clients who have spent years being told that sustainability requires sacrifice are discovering that exposed timber doesn't feel like a compromise — it feels like a choice.
"The building materials we choose are not just technical decisions. They are statements about what we value, what we find beautiful, and what kind of relationship we want with the natural world." — Kengo Kuma, architect
There's also a growing body of research on the biophilic effects of exposed timber in workplaces and healthcare environments — reduced cortisol levels, improved cognitive performance, higher self-reported wellbeing. For commercial clients, this is increasingly a business case as much as a design ambition.
Five projects worth studying
To understand what exposed CLT can achieve, it helps to look at projects that have pushed the material into new territory. The following five — selected from projects completed between 2023 and 2025 — each demonstrate a distinct approach.
1. Canopy Office, Oslo (2024)
Designed by Snøhetta for a Scandinavian media company, Canopy is a 6,500m² workplace where CLT panels form ceiling, wall, and furniture in a single continuous material palette. The strategy was radical in its consistency: no other material finishes a surface above knee height. Acoustic performance was achieved not through applied systems but through CNC-routed relief patterns cut directly into the CLT — a 40mm waffle grid that breaks up sound while creating shadow play under artificial light.
2. Biblioteca Natura, Porto (2023)
Aires Mateus's public library on the outskirts of Porto uses CLT in a more conflicted way — exposing the panels in some volumes while cladding identical panels in white lime render in others. The result is a building that narrates its own construction: you understand exactly how it's made because in some rooms you can see it, and in others you're left to imagine it. The contrast amplifies both the warmth of the wood and the coolness of the plaster.
3. Forest Pavilion, Serpentine (2024)
The temporary pavilion by Sumayya Vally and Counterspace used CLT offcuts — waste panels from other projects — laminated into new configurations. The ethical position was explicit: refuse the extraction of new material when existing material exists. The aesthetic result, imperfect and layered, was entirely its own.
Specifying exposed CLT: what to know
If you're considering exposed CLT for a project, several technical factors are worth understanding before you commit the material to a finish role.
- Grade selection matters enormously. Industrial-grade CLT, optimised for structural performance, will have visible finger joints, glue lines, and species variation that can look uneven at close range. Specify visual-grade panels from the outset — they cost 15–25% more but are laminated and sanded to a standard that holds up as finish.
- Fire performance is manageable but requires planning. Exposed CLT performs predictably in fire — it chars at a consistent rate, and the char layer insulates the unburned wood beneath. But building codes vary significantly by jurisdiction, and exposed structural timber often requires engineers to calculate char allowances into section sizes.
- Moisture sensitivity requires careful detailing. CLT is more dimensionally stable than solid timber but will still move with humidity. In humid climates or near water sources, surface treatment is essential. UV-stable hardwax oils are the current preference among most practitioners.
- Acoustic performance is lower than concrete. Wood doesn't mass-load sound the way concrete does. In spaces with speech privacy requirements, exposed CLT ceilings need supplementary acoustic strategy — either absorption (panels, furniture, soft goods) or isolation (acoustic mounts, floating floors).
The next frontier
The most interesting territory for CLT as a finish material may be in its combination with other bio-based systems. Several studios are now exploring hybrid assemblies where CLT forms the primary structure and enclosure, while mycelium panels handle acoustics and recycled textile panels provide warmth and colour. The logic is circular: all materials are bio-based, all are theoretically compostable, and all improve the more you can see of them.
This is not a trend driven by nostalgia for craftsmanship, or by a romantic notion of the natural. It's driven by architects who are tired of the false choice between performance and beauty. CLT, when used as a finish material with care and intelligence, refuses that choice.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to products the Soul Materials editorial team has independently evaluated. Purchasing through these links supports our editorial independence at no additional cost to you.
